You leave work at 6 in the morning, head back home under the scorching heat of the sun, and sleep as others wake up from bed. Sounds like your typical day? This is the daily routine of a night shift worker and, to be honest, it is tougher than what most people think.
However, there is something very important that you should know. Poor quality of sleep does not have to be the endgame if you are on night shifts. In fact, you can actually manage to sleep well and stay healthy despite working at night. This all depends on your understanding of what is happening to your body.
What Is Actually Happening to Your Body on Night Shift?
Your body has an internal biological clock known as the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is found in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) within the hypothalamus and follows a 24-hour cycle in response to the natural day-and-night cycle on Earth. By working throughout the night, you force your brain to remain active even though all biological signals are telling your brain otherwise.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, there is a connection between shift work and numerous health problems. Those problems could be metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, digestive issues, obesity, and even certain types of cancer. These are not just theoretical risks. This is the actual price one pays for sleep disturbances without any coping strategy.
The common health problems resulting from a disruption of the circadian rhythm caused by shift work include:
- Oversleeping
- Heart disease
- Metabolic syndrome, including diabetes
- Disturbance of gut microbiota
- Hormonal imbalance
- DNA damage
- Depression and poor work performance
The good news is that it is up to you whether it happens to you or not. Studies indicate that the manner in which you schedule your sleep based on your shifts matters.
Why Night Shift Health Is a Serious Conversation
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise
- Benjamin Franklin
Sure enough, Franklin was someone who believed that one should start their day early, waking up at 5 a.m. What many do not know about him is that Franklin also had his share of naps throughout the day. Unlike many, he did not consider sleeping to be detrimental to productivity. On the contrary, he considered sleeping a productive activity. It is perfectly possible to be both ambitious and well-rested.
And for night shift workers, such a lesson implies accepting the fact that healthy nights are essential.
The Night Shift Worker’s Guide to Fix Your Sleep
Improving your sleep on night shifts starts with small, consistent habits. These practical strategies can help you sleep better, stay alert, and protect your long-term health.
Control Your Light Exposure Like Your Sleep Depends on It
The strongest cue to your circadian rhythm is light. The internal clock works in a 24-hour cycle, based on the cycle of day and night, meaning that bright light in the morning is telling your body that it should be awake, and night is signaling to your body to produce melatonin and rest.
When you wake up after doing night shifts and go outside into the morning light, you are basically reprogramming your clock to stay awake. Try wearing sunglasses that block blue light when coming back home from work. Once at home, darken your bedroom as much as possible; blackout curtains are a must-have for people working at night shifts.
On the other hand, try getting exposed to bright light at the beginning of the shift to maintain alertness.
Protect Your Sleep Window With Discipline
An adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep each day to maintain proper physical and mental well-being. You will have to sleep at consistent times and observe proper sleep etiquette. In case you cannot get sufficient sleep time at one stretch, then you can take naps to cover up the deficiency.
This is when consistency plays the most important role. Choose a sleeping schedule and stick to it irrespective of the days. Erratic timings will confuse your body further, making the process of recovery more difficult. Inform your family members regarding the times when you are going to sleep. You may put a notice on the door, if necessary.
Create a Wind-Down Ritual Before Bed
Jennifer Aniston, who has openly talked about her struggle with insomnia, said that she had “a committee in my head.” According to HuffPost, Aniston explained that if she were to wake up at 3 a.m., she could not stop the discussions in her mind and thus, she could not fall asleep again. In the end, she figured out that this insomnia was due to practices that she had neglected: checking the time repeatedly, keeping her phone very close, and not allowing herself to prepare for sleep.
How did Aniston solve her insomnia problem? By keeping her phone no less than 5 feet away from her bed, meditating before getting into bed, and practicing yoga stretches, as well as switching all her electronic gadgets off one hour before going to sleep.
The practices mentioned above are supported scientifically. In the book “Why We Sleep,” neuroscientist Matthew Walker suggests that having a relaxing nighttime ritual and lower core body temperature is what sends your brain a message that you are ready to sleep. The nighttime ritual is essential for night shift employees as it helps them sleep better.
Rethink Caffeine and Meal Timing
Caffeine is your companion when you are working the night shift; however, it is also the factor that is subtly ruining your sleep quality. Proper sleep reduces the risk of committing mistakes at work and is essential for memory consolidation. Good sleep also enhances the ability to adapt under stress, which is precisely what caffeine temporarily simulates but cannot substitute for.
The trick is easy; do not consume any caffeine at least six hours before your desired bedtime. If you will go to sleep at 9 a.m., then the last cup of coffee should be no later than 3 a.m. Large meals close to your sleeping time do not work well either. It activates your body when all systems need to relax.
Scheduled meals are one of the most important coping mechanisms for people working night shifts and managing their circadian rhythm.
Use Naps Strategically, Not Randomly
Taking a nap before your night shift will definitely lower your level of fatigue and not make you feel sleepy while working. It should last no more than 20 minutes, since this way it won’t make you enter deep sleep, but rather refresh you. Sleeping for 30 minutes or more may cause something called sleep inertia – this means that after waking up, you will feel even more tired.
If you work on rotating shifts or night shifts consecutively, taking a nap when you have a break from your shift will benefit you greatly.
Reset Your Sleep Schedule on Your Days Off
That’s the point where many people who work during the night commit a mistake of turning everything around when they have a day off. In doing so, they subject themselves to social jetlag, where their bodies always get confused.
As the Sleep Foundation reports, the process of adjusting the sleep schedule is a gradual one involving changes by a few hours, not a sudden one like switching the clock entirely. In case there is an urgent need to change the sleeping pattern during days off, do so gradually by increments of one or two hours each day.
Make Your Sleep Environment Non-Negotiable
The room of a night-shift worker needs to do more work. Make sure that the room is dim, quiet, and cold for your body to adapt to sleeping during the daytime. Try using blackout shades, earplugs, or white noise to get rid of the sunlight and outside sounds. Refrain from blue light exposure and place your phone far away from you.
Conclusion
Not having to work during the daytime does not mean giving up hope of good quality sleep. It is possible to get your sleep fixed by implementing proper strategies when it comes to light, timing, and the place of sleep. You might have an atypical schedule, but that does not have to affect the quality of your sleep.
FAQs
What is the 3 3 3 rule for sleep?
The 3 3 3 sleep rule refers to no work for 3 hours before bedtime, no food for 2 hours before bedtime, and no electronics for 1 hour before bedtime. In some cases, it involves no caffeine for 3 hours before bedtime. It is a winding-down approach that aims to reduce stimulation to allow the brain to relax.
What foods help you sleep better?
Tryptophan, magnesium, and melatonin-containing foods improve your sleep. These are milk, almonds, walnuts, bananas, oats, kiwifruit, and chamomile tea. If you are a person working at night, consumption of these in light meals will be useful for the easy transition to sleep mode for your body.
Is 7 hours of sleep enough?
The number 7 falls on the lower side of the recommended sleep period of 7 to 9 hours, but this might be enough if the sleep is of high quality. This may not be the case with the people working night shifts and sleeping during the day, since they are likely to have fragmented sleep.
